The right choice of car seat for your child depends heavily on the age of the child and the kind of car you purchased. As your child gets older and grows, you will need to switch car seats to ensure safety while driving. Follow general guidelines for when to switch and which car seat is the best option. 
Car Seats for Infants
Newborn babies and infants require rear facing car seats until they have grown beyond the maximum height and weight specifications for the seat or reach the age of two. Crash testing shows that rear facing car seats protect your child more effectively by distributing the force of an impact instead of concentrating. There are two rear facing seat styles available, infant only and rear facing convertible car seats. Infant only car seats are best for newborns and smaller babies, while the rear facing convertible seats are ideal for larger babies and can be used for a little while beyond infancy.
Car Seats for Toddlers
The safest time to switch your child out of a rear facing infant seat into one meant for toddlers is after they have both turned two years old and reached the height and weight capacity of the infant seat. Look at the label on the back of the rear facing seat, and every car seat, for the height and weight specifications set for that particular model. Parents have two options for proper toddler car seats.
Your first option for your toddler’s car seat is a traditional front facing seat. When most people think of car seats, the toddler seat with a secure and safe five point buckling harness is what comes to mind. Front facing toddler seats usually have a weight restriction between forty and sixty pounds.
The second option is a combination seat that combines a traditional harnessed toddler seat with a waist-strapped booster car seat. With the combination seat, the harness can be removed once your child’s weight reaches forty pounds. Without the harness, the seat becomes a belted booster car seat ideal for children between forty and eighty pounds.
Car Seats for Preschoolers
The last car seat your child will need is a booster that provides head support and seatbelt positioning. Most children grow out of harnessed car seats and into a booster when they are entering preschool, around the age of three or four or a weight of eighty pounds. Booster seats should be chosen based on the kind of backseat design in your car. For example, a booster seat with no back should only be used in a car with headrests on the backseat.
Car seats protect your child in the event of an accident, and provide the calming knowledge that your precious cargo is sitting still while you focus on driving. Follow weight and height restrictions printed on car seats carefully and consider the size and layout of your backseat before making the purchase.
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